ABN (Very Bad do not read this!!) (NANOWRIMO 2013)

Chapter 23

Terror clutched at my chest, my tears burned with unshed tears and pain racked every muscles in my body. I sat up straight in the bed the blankets falling from my body into my lap. A scream echoing away into the dark of the night, warm large hands grabbed my shoulders giving me a shake.

“Asha, breathe.” He whispered in my ear.

I couldn’t remember what the dream had been about but it had been serious, serious enough to linger. Shaking my head I pressed my hands to my face trying to hide the tears. He shifted in bed turning to wrap his arms around me pulling me in against his chest.

His hand stroking my hair down my back, it was comforting to have somebody right there after you wake up from a nightmare. It dispels the fear that dragged on from it, not saying that my body wasn’t trembling.

“I’m right here, Asha I’m not going to let anything happen.”

‘I promise you’ll be safe…’ The words rose to the surface of my mind and a different feeling followed it. Anger, I pushed on Damien’s chest shoving him away. Lies they were all lies, horrible lies.

Just like the present or the feast, he had me watch as hundreds of people killed one another. How was that supposed to be a treat?

“Don’t touch me.” I shouted at him wrapping my own arms around myself.

“If it’s about the Arena-”

My hand grabbed one of the lighter blankets on the bed as I pushed up pushing out from behind the cover that hung like a tent around the bed. I wrapped the blanket tightly around me shivering at the cold air, I wanted to see Notari. I would see her if it was the last damn thing I ever did.

“Asha get back here.” He snapped at me, I felt his hand grab my shoulder and I ducked down turning around to glare at him.

“Don’t touch me. Dear gods please, just don’t touch me. Every time you touch me it feels nice until after, after everything goes to hell. There is nothing there, not even lust, you feel nothing.”

He stood there and gaped at me obviously shocked by the outburst, “Seconds ago we were curled together, I was enjoying that.”

“Why did you make me watch those people die! Was it part of some sick joke, to make me scared? Cause it worked, I can’t get them out of my head.”

Damien stood in just his pants watching me with calm green eyes, he looked as though he understood it. He took a step towards me and I backed away quickly.

“That is how my father and I feed. I thought you would feed off of something very similar.”

I looked up at him, “Why? What would make you think that I could feed off of something so disgusting?” I shouted at him.

“Asha, you’re a Hallowfier. They feed from fear.” He said stepping towards me.

“No.” I hissed backing away from him more.

He caught my wrist and pulled me in against his chest again, “This is getting old, you give in, enjoy it, then you try and get away. Pick a side.” Damien waited patiently for me to struggle, then he picked me up easily.

I was a monster, a freak, I wasn’t human. The shock was like falling on ice, my body hurt and my breath had been pulled from my body.

“Make the faces go away Dee, please just make it go away.” I begged tears building in my eyes again.

“You need rest.” He sighed moving back inside of the tent over his bed.

The only light was from a stream that poured in from the opening of the cloth. He crawled onto bed and sat down, then set me down in his lap, one arm behind me the other wrapped over my chest.

Home I wanted to go home and cry my eyes out, to wake up from this and breathe freedom. But this wasn’t going anywhere. I hugged his strong arm to my bare chest dropping my head to the side against his chest.  He kissed the crown of my head and began to rock us both back and forth.

“I’m right here Asha, I’ve always been right here.” He whispered hugging me tighter.

I could hear his heart beating in his chest, coupled with his rhythmic rocking my eyes began to grow heavier again. My body began to relax, the muscles loosened and I sank into his chest. The warmth he emitted was soothing to the brisk cold outside of the tent.

“After you found out I wasn’t the right Ashlaigha, why didn’t you just kill me?”

He sighed and began to rub small circles on my back, “You are beating a dead horse with this topic Asha.”

I closed my eyes slowly and felt myself gasp as their bloodied faces screamed up at me begging for freedom.

“I need to distract myself.” I murmured leaning forward so I pretty much hugged his one hand to the front of my body.

“Because, killing the only person that can survive a night with me would be wasteful. Besides you are much better than the other Ashlaya. Her voice was high and squeaky, her body was thin and weak, and her mind was easily bent. Your voice is low and alluring, your body is voluptuous, and you have a stronger will than many soldiers. I wanted you more than I wanted her.” He sighed kissing the top of my head again.

“Then why are you so mean to me?”

He chuckled and flipped me onto my back smiling at me, something in his eyes made them brighter. He had figured something out.

“It amuses me, to watch you fight against something I know you can’t win.”

I pouted my bottom lip as he slid his left leg over my hips so he straddled me to the bed, very slowly his fingers danced down my arms. Instead of wrapping around my wrists though he seemed to fumble trying to link hands with me. My hands felt so small in his, they didn’t fit perfectly together like they did in the movies. But it felt right, disturbingly so.

“Your hands are so tiny.” He whispered staring down at my hands that were encompassed by his, they rested on my stomach inches above my belly button.

“I hadn’t noticed.” I said sarcastically.

His green eyes locked with mine and silenced me before I could take it any farther. “Be quiet, I’m going to taste every inch of your body. When I’m finished you will sleep like the dead.” He spoke in a low promising tone making my body tighten.